BARolo is a bar newly opened by the owner of Trattoria Molto. I’d always thought the spot in Yeonnam-dong that Tuk Tuk Noodle Thai moved to was a bit out of the way, but these days that area has mostly been developed too, and the bar is right around there.

Wine

Given the owner’s skill and background, of course the wine is good.. The audio setup is excellent, so it’s a great place to listen to music too. One look at the lineup of hi-fi gear decorating the back of the shop tells you how passionate the owner is about music.. I used to be into hi-fi myself, buying an amp, buying speakers, buying a turntable and so on. It’s a good hobby, but collecting high-resolution sources, agonising over matching amps and speakers, buying and selling and buying again – that all takes spare time, and work keeps me too busy for it. Will some spare time ever come around in my life, I wonder..(though as long as I keep blogging it probably won’t..)

Otoshi

A nice atmosphere for a drink.

A splendid rum someone brought back from Busan

It was a straightforward, sweet rum. Good rum does seem to make it into Korea these days.

Guyanese rum

It’s a commemorative bottling released by Bar finch, a rum specialist bar in Kariya, Aichi, near Nagoya. I bought it at Shinanoya in Ginza, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad bottle from the ones a bar puts its own name on.. The label was apparently painted by a well-known artist who is a regular at the shop, and if you look at it there’s a signature reading Shimoda Masakatsu. Searching that name turns up their Instagram too. The cork wasn’t in great shape, but the moment I opened it a complex aroma came up, and it tasted more refined than most whiskies. Being rum the body is on the light side, but at this level you’d have to call it seriously delicious.. Spirits made in the tropics like rum lose a fair amount to evaporation every year, so 21 years of maturation is impressive in itself..(a miracle, maybe..) And the price was reasonable too.. That’s exactly why rum makes such a good alternative now that whisky prices have shot up..

A plate of seasonal spaghetti

Their cooking is as good as ever.

Bushmills Irish whiskey

By this point I don’t really remember the taste.

BARolo is a place with a really lovely atmosphere, and it’s the best for listening to music.. I was more than happy with it.. But the late-night taxi fare, which normally runs about 20,000 won, came to 37,000 won, and that does feel like a bit much.. We’re catching up with Japan a little too fast, aren’t we..

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